The invention relates generally to hoarding assembled around construction sites.
Hoarding is used to prevent pedestrians from entering a construction site and to prevent debris from escaping the site. Hoarding may also be used as temporary barriers to control pedestrian traffic during special events and out door activities. Basic hoarding is essentially a fence formed of wood beams or rectangular frames nailed together to serve as structural members, and wood cladding panels nailed to the structural members. Such hoarding often includes a covered walkway that usually consists of more wood beams nailed together to define a roof framework, and wood panels or boards laid on the framework. Such a walkway ensures that passers-by are protected against in jury from materials and debris accidentally dropped from a building.
There are several shortcomings to such prior practices. Assembly of a hoarding requires considerable time and labour and some measure of carpentry skill. Disassembly of the hoarding not only involves considerable time, and the beams and panels of the hoarding are discarded as waste. It would be desirable to provide a hoarding system which is not subject to such waste.
In one aspect, the invention provides a modular hoarding comprising vertical posts and horizontal cross-members, preferably formed of tubular steel. The posts are positioned around the perimeter of a construction site by location in post holes, fastening to concrete surfaces, or other appropriate ways. Mounting features are provided to releasably secure the cross-members to the posts in a generally horizontal orientation. Panel structures are provided, preferably rectangular steel frames in which wood panels are permanently mounted. Mounting features are provided to secure each panel structure to the horizontal cross-members at a selectable height, accommodating variations in the surface on which the hoarding is erected. The mounting features preferably include a mounting structure fixed to each panel structure and formed with a set of vertically spaced openings. A removable mounting member may then be provided which has a key portion shaped to fit and lock into any of the openings, as by rotation between insertion and locking orientations, and which has a body portion shaped to extend rearward and downward about one of the cross-members.
In another aspect, the invention provides a covered walkway structure that can be incorporated into the basic fence structure defined by the modular hoarding. The walkway structure includes a set of uprights, each comprising a vertical support and a transverse bracket which has one end fixed to the support and an opposing free end. The support and bracket are preferably steel members welded or otherwise permanently fixed to one another at a predetermined angle. The free end of each bracket is releasably secured to one of the posts of the basic fence structure. In that regard, each bracket is associated with mounting features, preferably a vertical sleeve fixed to the free end of the bracket, and dimensioned to slide about any of the vertical posts. Panels or boards are placed on the brackets to serve as a roof, protecting the pedestrians from falling debris or construction materials dropped from above. The brackets are preferably angled downward from their respective vertical supports so that falling objects roll back into the construction site. Mesh and releasable cross-members may be fastened between the vertical supports of walkway structure to impart structural rigidity and to confine pedestrians to the covered walkway.
In another aspect of the invention, a method of erecting a modular hoarding is provided. The method comprises the steps of providing a plurality of vertical posts, securing the posts to the ground, securing a plurality of cross-members to the posts in a substantially horizontal orientation, and securing a plurality of panel members to the horizontally oriented cross-members. The cross-members are secured to the posts in a manner which permits the cross-members to be disassembled for later re-use. Also, the panels are secured to the cross-members in a manner which allows the panels to be disconnected from the cross-members so that the panels may be reused.
The invention permits basic fence-type hoarding and hoarding with covered walkways to be assembled and disassembled quickly by relatively inexperienced workers. It also reduces the risk of damage to hoarding components, allowing repeated use at different construction sites. The term xe2x80x9cmodularxe2x80x9d as used in this specification in respect of hoarding should be understood as meaning a hoarding which is assembled from sets of standard prefabricated components and which can be expanded or reduced in size by adding or eliminating a number of these components.